mcelroy



No. 608,2". Patented Aug. 2, I898. J. F. McELROY.

SYSTEM FOR HEATING BY ELECTRICITY.

, (Application fllod I01. 16, was.

(Io Iodql.) 2 Sheets-Shut l.

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i 1:1 1 3 f BY ATTORNEY? No. 608,2". Patented Aug. 2, I898. J. F.McELROY.

SYSTEM FDR HEATING BY ELECTRICITY.

(Application Med Nov. 16, 1992.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT JAMES F. MCELROY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOTHE CONSOLIDATED OAR-HEATING COMPANY, OF SAT/TE PLACE,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,211, dated August2, 1898.

Application filed November 16, 1892. Serial No. 452,186, (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. MOELROY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Albany, State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Systems for Heating Cars byElectricity, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanisms and systems forelectric heating; and the object of my invention is to produce a systemfor heating an apartment in which a number of electric heaters are soconnected and arranged in reference to each other and to an electricswitch that the apartment in which they are placed may be heatedsymmetrically and the temperature regulated as desired, my inventionbeing particularly adapted for use in street and railway cars. Iaccomplish this object by means of the arrangement of heaters andconnections illustrated in the accompanying drawings, .in which Figure lis a plan of the wiring and heaters placed. in a car. Fig. 2 is adiagrammatic illustration of the switch. Fig. 3 is a plan of the switch,and Fig. a is an end elevation of the switch.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In order that a car may be warmed uniformly, it is desirable to placethe heaters in such a position that heat shall be emitted into theapartment on both sides and at each end and midway between the ends oneach side, while in other apartments a distributing arrangement suitablethereto should be provided, and it is also desirable to so arrange theheaters in reference to each other that when more or less heat isrequired the increase or decrease shall take place in all parts of theapartment equally. Otherwise one portion of the apartment would be toohot, while another portion more remote from the source of heat would betoo cold, as is the case where a stove or a single heater is used, and Ihave therefore provided a system in which the intensity of the heat maybe raised or lowered in all parts of the apartment equally, making everypart of the apartment of the same degree of warmth.

Referring to the drawings, A, l3, 0, I), E, E,

'or ground-wire A.

G, H, I, J, K, and L each represent an elec trio heater-section which Ipreferably locate in the car in the following manner: 011 one side ofthe car, near the end of the car and preferably beneath the ear-seat, 1place single heater-section A,which I connect to the out I also connectthe heatersection A to the heater-section O, placed about midway betweenthe ends of the car on the same side with the heater-section A, theheater-section 0 being connected with a similar heater-section I),placed adjacent thereto and forming a double heater or heater coinposedof two heatingsections. The heatersection D is connected with theheater-section F, placed at the opposite end of the same side of the carwith the heater A. The heatersection F is connected with theheater-section G, located on the opposite side or" the car and at thesame end thereof. The heatersection G is connected with theheater-section I, which, with the heater-section 5, forms a doubleheater about midway between the ends of the car on the side occupied bythe heater-section The heater-section is connected to the heater-sectionL, placed on the opposite side of the car from the heater-section A, theheater-section L being connected with the heater-section K and formingtherewith a double heater composed of: two sections, the heater-sectionK being connect d with the heater-section II on the same side of thecar, near. the end occupied by the heater-section G. The heater-sectionH is also connected with the heater-section E directly opposite. Thisheater-section E is connected with he heater-section B on the same sideof the car and near the heater-section A. The heatersection B is alsoconnected to the electrical conductor D.

A, B, D,'E, and 1*" are electric conduetors arranged in connection withan electric switch, the conductor F being connected with the trolley inthe system as used upon a car propelled by electricity and the conductorA being connected with the out or ground wire. The conductor 0 isconnected with the wire which unites the heater-sections and G, runningthrough the center of the car and meeting the connecting-wire midwaybetween said heater=sections The conductor I5 is IOO connected with thedouble heater-sections L and K, and the conductor E is connected withthe double heater-sections J and I. As thus arranged I am enabled toheat the car to correspond to any desired temperature and to regulate itas desired.

I show in Figs. 3 and 4 a switch which is more particularly described inan application for patent thereon executed and filed in the UnitedStates Patent Ofiice simultaneously herewith, which application hasmatured in Letters Patent No. 499,363, dated June 13, 1893; but I do notlimit myself to any particular form of switch. The switch shown consistsof a cylinder composed of a series of disks A B C D E and F separatedfrom each other by narrow partitions a. This cylinder is mounted in asuitable frame G upon a spindle b, which has keyed to it at one end aknob II. At one end of the cylinder and secured thereto is arranged anotched wheel \V. A bell-crank lever K is suitably mounted, carrying atone end a contact-making portion K arranged to make connections betweenthe posts M and N which bell-crank lever K is also provided with a lugZ, adapted to engage with the notches in the wheel IV for the purpose oflocking the cylinder. The post N is connected by wire to one pole of thebattery, or where it is used in an electric car to the trolley, and thepost M is connected by a Wire to the metal spring or conductor F, thespring F being attached to an insulated bolt in the frame of the boX atone end, the other end being in contact with the disk F on the cylinder.In a similar way the springs E, D, C, B, and A are arranged in contactWith the corresponding disks in the cylinder. Each of the disks on thecylinder is provided with one or more metal plugs 19 which are suitablyconnected, as shown in the diagrammatic View Fig. 2, the metal plugsbeing thus united in various series. Thus in the disk A there are threeplugs, in the disk B three, in the disk 0 two, in the disk D three,while the disk E has one, and the disk F five. The figures at the bottomof Fig. 2 refer to the various series of metal plugs on the disks andshow how they are connected.

By the operation of the bell-crank lever K the circuit is made andbroken. WVhen the circuit is complete, the portion K being in positionbetween the posts M and N the cylinder is locked, the lug Z in thenotches of the wheel WV preventing the movement of the cylinder. Inorder to change the position of the cylinder and thus operate theswitch, it is necessary to break the circuit with the bellcrank lever.

Referringto Fig. 1, the location of the heaters in the car is such thatthey are symmetrical in regard to their arrangement in reference to eachother and to their position in reference to the heating-surface of thecar. this system, when the connections are made, as shown in series 1,referring to the figures at the bottom of Fig. 2, F and D are connectedwith the plugs in the disks F and D and the current passes first to theheater-section 13 and thence to the heater-sections E, II, K, L, J, I,G, F, D, G, and A and out at the ground-wire, having all of the twelveheatersections in series. IVhen the second series is in connection, thecurrent passes through the spring 13 to the heatersection L and thenceto the heater-sections J, I, G, F, D, O, and A and out the ground-wire,having eight heater-sections in series, which is two-thirds of theheater-sections in the car. IVhen the third series is in connection, thecurrent passes through the spring E to the heatersections I, G, F, D,(l, and A and also to the heater-sections J, L, K, H, E, and B, makingtwo series of six heater-sections each, the total heating-surface beingdivided into two equal parts and these parts placed in multiple withreference to each other, it being noticed that the plugs in the diskwith which the conductors F and E come in contact are united, and alsothat the plugs on the disk with which the conductors D and A comeincontact are united. When the fourth series is in connection, thecurrententers through the conductor C,fron1 which it passes through thewire in the center of the ear connected with the heater-sections F, D,O, and A, and also with the heater-sections G, I, J, and L, making twoseries of four heater sections each, two-thirds of the heating-surfacebeing divided into two equal parts and these parts placed in multiplewith reference to each other. In this series it is noticeable that theplugs in the disk with which the conductors F and 0 'make contact areunited, and also that the plugs with which the conductors B and A areconnected are united. In the fifth series the electricity enters throughthe conductor D and thence passes to the heatersections 13, E, II, and Kand through the conductor C, from whence it passes to the heatersectionsF, D,O, and A, and also to the heatersections G, I, J, and L, makingthree series of four heaters each, the total heating-surface beingdivided into three equal parts and these parts placed in multiple withreference to each other, and in the fifth series it is also noticeablethat the plugs in the disk with which the conductors F, D, and G connectare united, and the plugs in said disk with which the conductors B and Aconnect are united.

In heating up a car it is desirable to place the heaters in such aconnection that the largest flow of current will be obtained in orderthat the carmay be rapidly heated.

The last-described arrangement of the electric conductors is preferablefor that purpose, and when the car becomes warm and ready to go out ofthe shop onto the road then the other positions. requiring a less amountmay be used, depending upon the condition and temperature of theatmosphere.

It should also be observed that this arrangcment provides a largemultiplicity of heater sections for a single car, there being no lessthan twelve in the example shown. This multiplicity of sections isrequired to give a proper distribution of heat in a car wherein thesections must be arranged not only at points along the length of thecar, but also on both sides of the car, since it has been foundessential to place the heaters under the car-seats,where a largeconcentration of heat at one point would injure the woodwork and burnthe clothing of the passengers, or at least make them uncomfortablywarm, while the necessarily small heater-section at one point would beincapable of heating both sides of the car. This requires a greaternumber of sections than would be practically available if the samerequired total amount of heat were secured by sections having such dimensions and such lengths of wire that theycould be connected directly tothe main supply-conductors in multiple with one another. Hence I usesections smaller than could be safely connected directly to the lineconductors and always maintain two or more of them, taken, respectively,from the different heaters, in series with one another. For example, inthe arrangement shown above there are four of these smallheater-sections always in series. Thus the car-circuit betweenconductors A and G contains the sections A, O, D, and F, the car-circuitbetween conductors Dand B contains the sections 13, E, II, and K, andthe car-circuit between conductors C'and Bcontains sections L, J, l, andG.

My switch for varying the connections is so constructed and so relatedto the several circuits that in approaching the multiple arrangementeach multiple-arc branch shall never include less than these fourheater-sections in series, which in this series relation are adapted toreceive the maximum current allowable, and which are also, as described,distributed at different points along both sides of the car and indifferent heaters. Thus it might be said that each multiple branch withfour heater-sections in series constitutes the unit of regulation,whilethe individual heatersections are the units of distribution. By

this means I secure an adequate range of regulation and at the same timean adequate and practically constant distribution of the heat throughoutthe length and breadth of the car with no undue concentration at any oneseat.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. In an electric-heating system, the combination and arrangementof a plurality of heaters, consisting respectively of a plurality ofheating-sections, some of said sections in said heaters so connectedthat they may be supplied in one circuit and the remaining sections insaid heaters in another circuit, whereby different sections in the sameheater may be connected in dilferent circuits, with an electric switch,by means of which the connections may be varied, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an electric-heating system, the combination and arrangement of aplurality of heaters, consisting respectively of a plurality ofheating-sections, with single heaters con sisting of but oneheating-section, so connected that the single heaters may be placed ineither circuit in which the heating-sections in the heaters containing aplurality of heating-sections may be placed, with means for varying theconnections, substantially as described.

3. In an electric-heating system, the combination and arrangement of aplurality of heaters, consisting respectively of a plurality ofheating-sections, sections in each heater being connected with sectionsin the other heaters in such a manner that one section in one heater isconnected with a section in another heater, so that the sections in thesame heater will be separately arranged in separate circuits, with meansfor varying the connections, substantially as described and for thepurposes set forth.

4. In an electrie-heatin g system, a plurality of heaters, each made upof a multiplicity of heater-sections, each of the heater-sectionsarranged to be connected up in separate circuits, with means for varyingthe connections, substantially as described.

JAMES F. MCELROY.

lVitnesses:

EDWIN A. SMITH, WILLIAM P. EDDY.

